Why did Kelly allow a sex offender to teach?

A registered sex offender who was given clearance by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly to work as a teacher later landed a job in a high school, it has emerged.

He was only stopped at the last moment when police, who had warned he could be a risk, found out and protested.

The decision not to ban him was taken after Ms Kelly apparently believed that evidence that he had accessed paedophile websites was inconclusive, despite his confession.

Ms Kelly is understood to believe that her decision was correct, which is likely to further alarm experts who say that politicians should not decide on who is prevented - or not - from working with children.

The 2002 case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were murdered by school caretaker Ian Huntley, highlighted the dangers.

Huntley had slipped through police checks that were supposed to stop those who might pose a danger to children working in schools.

In this latest case the teacher, who was placed on the sex offenders register without being convicted, was given a job at the Hewett School in Norwich last month.

Green light from Kelly

Ms Kelly had given him the green light to work in schools the previous May.

The Department for Education wrote to Norfolk County Council saying that she had "considered all aspects of the case, including sex offender registration, and decided that the risks of the teacher being allowed to continue teaching were acceptable".

The department's Safeguarding Children Unit said Ms Kelly did not believe he belonged on list 99, the national list of people barred from working with children.

But police reportedly followed strict Home Office guidelines in placing him on the Sex Offenders Register, and have privately expressed deep reservations about her decision.

Norfolk police spokesman Simon Morgan said: "Swift action was taken as soon as this matter came to our attention.

"We convened an urgent meeting with all relevant partner agencies and individuals, including the headteacher, to review the situation and determine the most appropriate course of action."

Lisa Christensen of Norfolk Social Services said: "This case highlights a serious policy contradiction that we are keen that the DfES addresses as a matter of urgency - namely, that it is possible for a teacher to have their name on the sex offender register, but not on list 99 - which is the list that automatically bars people from teaching or working with children, and is routinely checked.

"We have written to the DfES highlighting these

concerns, and been informed they are reviewing these matters currently.

"When the police became aware that this person had been offered a job at a school, they contacted us... we took immediate action... and the school suspended the person concerned pending a full assessment and investigation."